Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has publicly clapped back at Harry Potter author JK Rowling's response to the recent U.K. court decision on trans rights.
The country's Supreme Court recently ruled to exclude trans women from the legal definition of a woman in the U.K.
The law, which excludes trans women from several public facilities for women such as homeless shelters and fitting rooms in stores, has been decried by human rights and LGBTQ+ equality groups.
Rowling donated thousands of British pounds toward the group who brought the case before the court.
After the results were announced, she took to social media to gloat and take partial credit for the court decision in a post many found embarrassingly tasteless.
Count Coughlan among them. The actor, an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ rights, took to Instagram to clap back at Rowling and urge others to boycott her work, in particular HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series, which Rowling has been heavily involved with.
@nicolacoughlan/Instagram
In a since-deleted Instagram Story, Coughlan posted an article from The Cut about the Supreme Court decision, titled "This Is A New Low for JK Rowling," along with the caption:
"Keep your new Harry Potter lads"
"Wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole.”
Coughlan followed up with an Instagram video in which she decried the court decision and the U.K.'s continuing "attacks" on trans people.
Coughlan said:
“I am completely horrified by the Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday about trans people."
"To see an already marginalized community being further attacked and attacked in law is really stomach churning and disgusting.”
Coughlan also announced a fundraiser, telling fans she'd match donations up to £10,000 for U.K. trans-rights non-profit Not A Phase, which has a mission of "uplifting the lives of trans+ adults across the UK."
On social media, people applauded Coughlan for speaking out and quickly raising more money for trans rights than Rowling did for the court case.
Coughlan urged fans to join her in supporting the trans community:
“If you are a cisgender person who is an ally of a trans person, I think now is the time to just sort of speak up and make your voice heard."
"Let your trans, nonbinary friends and just the community at large know that you’re there for them and will keep fighting for them.”
Her fundraiser for Not A Phase has since raised more than £100,000 (~$132,000) as of this writing.
